Automatic railway-switch-operating mechanism



J. P. SCARTSARIS. AUTOMATN; RAILWAY swlTcH OPERATING MEcH'ANlsM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. 1920.

'1,371,937., Patented Mar. 15,1921.

\ 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ATTORNEY.

P. SCARTSARIS.. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH OPERATING IVIIECHAIIIISII'I.4

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I5, 1920.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" INVENTOR. u?. P/Scagisai'zs.

UNITED STATES JAMES LP. SCARTSARIS, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH-OPEBATING IVIECHILNISM.

Speccaten of Letters Patent. A

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

Application led September 15, 1920. Serial No. 410,385.

To att w /zom it may concern y Be it known that I, JAMES P. SCARTSARIS, a citizen of Greece, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway- Switch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switch operating mechanism and more specifically to that type which is operated from the cab or front of a railway car.

One of the objects of my invention is the provisionof a switch operating mechanism which may be simultaneously locked and unlocked when the-switch is actuated.

Another object of my invention is directed to a novel and improved hand operated mechanism for positively actuating the switch and its locking means to open or close the same as desired.

Another and very important object of my invention relates to a switch operated mechanism of the above class which will be simple in construction, highly efficient, and positive in operation, consisting of comparatively few parts which may easily be installed, and which will not likely get out of order and otherwise embracing and conforming to the essential safety requirements of devices of thistype.

With these objects in view and others which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that within the'scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention can he made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and in which- Figure 1 is a plan.

Fig. 2 a fragmentary side elevation of a frog and its locking mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation lof one of the rock arms for actuating the switch.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation, partly in section of the lever control mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the roller guide.

Numeral 1 designates a railroad track having the usual rails 2, 3, and numeral 4 designates a side track having rails 5, 6. supported by the usual ties. The rails 5, 6,

leading to the main track are connected to the same by suitable mechanism now to be described.

Referring to Fig. l it may be seen that the main rails 2, 3, are split as at 8, 9, so that thesaid rails may support the switch points L0, 11, of the side track thrown into or out of engagement with the switch points 12, 13 of the main rails, it being of course, understood that the movable sections of the main and side track operate in suitable plates (not shown) in proximity to the switch proper. The switch points 10, l1, of the side track and the switch points 12, 13, of the main track are connected to each other by L-shaped longitudinally extending frogs 14, 15, and a transverse rod 16 extending beneath the rails as shown in Fig. 1 connecting all of said frogs. It will now be seen that as the frogs 14 and the switch points 10, 11 are thrown toward the main rails, the switch points 12, 13, and the frogs 15 thrown away from the main rails, the side track will be thrown open for travel. On the other hand when the longitudinal frogs 15 and switch points connected thereto are actuated the side track will be closed and the main track open for'travel.

Positioned forwardly of said switch points, I have provided U-shapedguides 16a, 17 secured by fastening elements 18, 19, to the rail flanges and slidable locking bolts 20, 21, having reduced ends 22 which are retained in their locked position in apertures 23 and the forward ends of the Vfrogs above referred to and as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

1t will be apparent that the locking members will securely hold the respective frogs and switch pointsin their locked position when the main track or side track are open for travel.

The forward ends of the locking bolts 20, 21, are provided with transverse pins 24 to which the eyes 25 of the forwardly extending connected rods 27, 28, are fastened. The said connecting rods 27 are secured to upstanding lugs 27a, 28a of transverse rock shafts 29, 30, secured to certain ties 29a, 30? also shown in Fig. 1. The rock shaft 29, has its bent end 31 connected by a cable or pulley 32 passing overrollers 33, 34, to the frog14 outside the rail 2 so that when the rock shaft is actuated it will throw the said frog in or out of engagement with the said rail and of course, operate the corresponding frog 15 on the inside of the rail and thereby open the side track for travel. The connecting rods 28 above referred to are likewise secured to transverse shaft having upstanding lugs 35a the said rock shafts also having a bent arm 36 which is however, on the opposite side of the track and is connected by a cable or pulley 37 passing over a pulley 39 connected to the frog l5 in a similar manner' to the connection of the frog 14. Similarly as the rock shafts are actuated the frogs 14 will be thrown into or out of engagement and the main track will be open or closed.

The rock shaft 40 provided with a bent arm 40 outside the mainrail is connected by pulley 41 and a second rock shaft 42 on the side track similarly provided with bent arms 42"L as the corresponding pulley 43 on the opposite side of the track to operate the respective frogs connected to the main and side tracks for operating the same when from the opposite direction. leferringnow to Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown a preferred form of actuating mechanism operable from the inside lor cab of an engine for operating A the respective rock shaft 29, or when it is desired to open or close the main or side track for travel. Y

Secured to the main rails, l have provided longitudinally extending roller guides 44,A

45, in which the respective rock shafts are actuated being considerably outside the rails and side roller guides for engagement with a roller mechanism hereinafter to be described. The roller guides are positioned one in adrance `of the otherand on opposite sides of the track. The lower flange 47 ofthe said guides is secured to the under side of lthe rails and have a vertically extending portion terminating in a wide lia-nge 45"l outside of and above the top of the rails, and said flange adapted to guide one of a pair of rollers hereinafter referred to. Suspended and carried to the body 48 of an engine cab (not shown) and equally spaced from the sides 49 thereof, are tubular members 50 supporting a transverse cross beam 5l, having apertures 51a'.` A slidable collar 52 in each of the said tubular members is provided with a trans verse pin 53' supporting theroller carrying rod 54 eitending through the apertures 51a, the said rod carrying the pair of rollers 55, 55, the rollerV 55L adapted to engage the flange 45a of the roller guide, and the roller 55 to engage and actuatethe bent arm 46 of the` rock shaft. Y

`Links 56 on' each side ofthe collar 52 are also connected tothe pin 53 passing through the upper end of the rod 54 and supporting` the same within the tubular members. The said pins are slidable in recesses 57 of said tubular members, a spring 57EL being interposed between the collar 52 and bottom of the` tubular member to normally retain the rod 54 and its rollers in an elevated, inoperative position. The links 56 above referred to are connected to laterally extending bearing arms 58 secured by pins 59 said ings 59EL and is provided with a release plunf ger 64 retained in the notch 65 and releasable therefrom so that the arm 63 may be reversed to actuate either of the arms 58 to operate the left or right hand rollers 55 and the rock shafts 49 or 35.

Assuming that the operator desires to travel on the side track, lever 62 is actuatedV to the left, depressing the left arm 58, rod

The arms 58 are 54 and rollers 55, 55a, and asthe engine advances the outer roller 55 will strike the upstanding bent arm` 46 and thereby actuate the rock shaft 29. The opposite bent arm 31V of shaft 29 and its connected cable 32 will then actuate the frogs l5 as the'sliding bolts 2l are simultaneously released from the frogs bythe rods 27.l As the frogsl are thrown outwardly and the frogs 14 thrownY inwardly, the cables 87 connected to the bent arm 36 actuate the rock shaft 35 and the rods 28 to lock the bolts 20 in the frogs 14. When vin this position it is desired to throw the frogs 14 outwardly, the operator willY actuate the lever 62 and right arm 58, and its corresponding rollers, which will engage the guide 45 and bent arm 47 ofthe rock shaft 35. Thebent arm 36 and its cable 37 will throw the frogs 14 outwardly, and as the locking bolts 2 0,` are Withdrawn the bolts V21 lock the frogsl. Y r

lt willfnow be vapparent from the above description that l, have devised a very efficient, positive and practical switch, which may` be operated by hand or from the cab of an engine, and which l have foundfto be highly satisfactory `for the results described, It is thought that a switch operated mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well `adapted for its various uses on the old style as well on the new pattern of switches, by reason of the convenience 'and facility with which it may be assembled, installed and operated,

and it will be obvious .that my invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing-from the principles and spirit thereof and therefore Iv do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to `.the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts shown in carrying out my 1nvent1on 1n practicel except as herelnafter claimed. Y l

iio

Having shown and described my invention, what I now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the U. S. is

l. In a railway switch of the class described, in combination with the switch points of a railway tracka double frogs at each point siidable with the switch points, locking members for said frogs, rock shafts removed from and connected to said frogs and locking members, and means to actuate either of said rock shafts and its connected frogs and locking members to open and close the selective switch points.

2. In a railway switch of the class described, in combination with the switch points of a railway trackv` a pair of slidable frogs on each side of the switch points, independent locking members for each pair of frogs7 spaced rock shafts forward of said switch points and connected to the frogs and locking members, and means to actua-te said frogs and locking members by either of said rock shafts to open and close the selective switch points.

3. In a railway switch of the class described in combination with the switch points of a railway track, horizontally slidable frogs on each side of the switch points, slidable locking members for each pair of frogs, spaced, transverse rock shafts connected to each pair of frogs and its slidable members, and means to actuate either of said scribed in combination with the switch points of a` railway track, a pair of horizontally7 slidabie frogs on each side of the Switch points and independently slidable, locking members for each pair of frogs secured to the track, transverse rock shafts beneath the track and connected to each pair of frogs and locking members and means for actuating either of said rock shafts to lock one pair of frogs to the` switch points and unlock the other pair.

5. In a railway-switch of the class described in combination with the switch points of a railway track, horizontally slidable frogs on each side of said switch points, U-shaped plates secured between the tra-ck. locking members slidable in said U-shaped plates for locking the said frogs, transverse rock lshafts secured beneath the track and provided with cables and connecting rods for actuating said frogs and locking members from the rock shafts and means to lock the respective frogs from opposite sides of the track.

In testimony whereof, I aiix my signature hereto.

JAMES P. SCARTSARIS. 

